Four for Four

PORTLAND, Ore. — Questions about tonight’s key playoff game

1. Will Portland’s physical play in Game 3 continue?

2. Will Robert Horry and Nick Van Exel finally contribute on offense?

3. Will Kobe Bryant get more playing time?

4. Will Portland continue to be dominated in the fourth quarter?

*

It’s not that he’s still trying to get back in the flow after sitting out a month and a half, 21 games in all, because of a knee injury.

“I’m back in the groove,” Robert Horry said.

It’s not that he’s complaining.

“Don’t get me wrong.”

It’s that, well, something doesn’t seem right.

“Just the way we’re playing,” Horry said. “Everything is just slow.”

Slow. Like the start of his first playoff run as a Laker.

“Extremely slow.”

A 2-1 lead over the Portland Trail Blazers in the best-of-five series that continues tonight at 7:30 at the Rose Garden has been achieved with minimal offensive contribution from Horry, at best. And a flat-out disappearance, at worst.

He says he is confused by what has transpired, unable to explain going from an average of 11.4 points in the last five games of the regular season to scoring a total of eight points in the first three games of the playoffs, all in one game. The shots aren’t there, obviously, but the ultimate concern is, why not?

Solid defense, especially last Friday and Sunday at the Forum, has allowed Horry to remain a factor as the Lakers again try to clinch the series and avoid a deciding Game 5. But, a limited factor.

In Game 1, he played 24 minutes, missed his only shot and went scoreless.

In Game 2, he had eight points in 22 minutes, but got only five shots, making three.

In Game 3, he missed both shots and was again shut out, this time in 23 minutes. It was a bad night all around for the Lakers, blown out for three quarters before a late rally made the final score a respectable 98-90.

“He didn’t have a good performance [Wednesday] night,” Coach Del Harris said.

That was made all the more obvious by Jerome Kersey, Horry’s backup, who had 10 rebounds and eight points in 27 minutes.

And Kersey had four points and three rebounds in 26 minutes of Game 2. And 10 rebounds and five points in 24 minutes of Game 1.

So, the stakes are getting higher for the Lakers and the role is getting smaller for one of their starting forwards. Horry has played eight fewer minutes, scored nine fewer points and taken down 14 fewer rebounds than Kersey.

“I’ve got to go get some rebounds,” Horry said. “I haven’t been doing that. I’ve been so intent on getting back [on defense]. I’ve got to get to the basket and get some tip-ins.”

Harris said: “It’s the history of his game. He’s never been an aggressive offensive player. But any aggressiveness is good. Anything you put after ‘aggressive’ is good with me. Aggressive with driving. Aggressive with going for for the boards. As long as it’s not aggressive to the point of being out of control.”

Indeed, Horry has always played as the complement, never the focus of the offense. The Lakers aren’t asking him to be that now. They simply want the guy who played so well around another superstar center, Hakeem Olajuwon, to make an appearance.

In four seasons with the Houston Rockets, Horry improved his scoring average from the regular season to the playoffs each time, going all the way from 10.2 to 13.1 in the title run of 1995 that included a major role in knocking off Shaquille O’Neal and the Orlando Magic in the finals. Now, this.

“It is kind of strange, especially since we’ve got a big guy,” Horry said.

This comes as the Trail Blazers seem to have regained their confidence after a lost weekend in L.A., although Portland continued its habit of getting hammered in the fourth quarter, being outscored, 32-14.

Horry was a key to Wednesday’s comeback, playing 10 minutes and contributing four rebounds at power forward, with Kersey at small forward and O’Neal at center, a combination that came with Kobe Bryant and Byron Scott in the backcourt and helped get them within six points. That will have to serve as the momentum heading into Game 4, for the Lakers and for Horry, suddenly on a roll without even knowing it.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

SERIES AT A GLANCE

LAKERS vs. BLAZERS

Lakers lead series 2-1

* Game 1: Lakers, 95-77

* Game 2: Lakers, 107-93

* Game 3: Trail Blazers, 98-90

* Game 4: Tonight at Portland, 7:30

* Game 5: Sunday at Forum, TBA*

* if necessary

PUSH OR SHOVE?

Chris Dudley’s foul of Shaquille O’Neal scrutinized. C8

ELSEWHERE, C8

Seattle 122, Phoenix 115 (OT)

Orlando 99, Miami 91

Iverson rookie of year